Adding a bedroom sconce to a historic house – can it be done?

Who doesn’t love a good reading light next to their bed? We’ve put up with mismatched old lamps next to our bed for years and they work fine but we really wanted some better lighting than a table lamp could provide because one of us just got the senior discount at the firehouse breakfast last week (and it wasn’t me, I won’t be seeing that discount for years). We wanted matching sconces with shades over our heads. But we just finished the room and cutting holes in the wall and getting the electrician in would be a nightmare.

So we cheated a little. We bought some beautiful sconces that actually plug into an outlet but at the same time look very historic and they fit nicely in an old house. The brand is called Visual Comfort and we found them in a lighting store but you can buy over the internet. These sconces were not cheap but here’s the way I look at it. If I had to have an electrician come over, cut holes in the wall, wire some boxes, then install 2 sconces from Home Depot or Lowe’s I’m probably looking at $500 not including the cleanup, touchup paint and cheapy sconces. By spending close to that same amount of money I have two gorgeous, high quality sconces and there’s no touch up painting that I will have to do. Makes sense, right?

Just a note of disclaimer: We bought these sconces a few years ago (and they have really gone up in price) and we bought them from a lighting store and they messed up the order really badly. So badly that the lighting company ended up sending us two additional sconces free so that we would stop calling and asking when our sconces would be delivered (or at least that’s what we think happened). We got the extra set and we figured some smart salesperson just said “let’s send them two more so they’ll stop bugging us”. So be warned.

Most of their wall sconces come with the metal bar that hangs down the wall hiding the cord so that you can just hang them on your wall and they don’t have to be real wall sconces. Look through the photos and you’ll see what I mean.

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Wouldn't this room look so much better with some sconces over the bed?

Wouldn't this room look so much better with some sconces over the bed?

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First I use this stud finder which is handy for old houses to find wall studs.

First I use this stud finder which is handy for old houses to find wall studs.

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Next I screwed the backplate into the wall stud.

Next I screwed the backplate into the wall stud.

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This was easy.

This was easy.

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There was more wall cord than I needed so I just cut some off and wired it back together. Very easy is you know a little about wiring.

There was more wall cord than I needed so I just cut some off and wired it back together. Very easy is you know a little about wiring.

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One sconce installed with the perfect length of cord.

One sconce installed with the perfect length of cord.

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And with both installed. Almost as good as wired sconces.

And with both installed. Almost as good as wired sconces.

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Adding a bedroom sconce to a historic house - can it be done?

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Stay Warm. Have a great New Year. Check back soon as I reveal our color choices for the hallway.